TEHRAN, Iran, March 18 (UPI) -- Iran's reformist President Mohammed Khatami has acknowledged he is all but powerless against Islamic hardliners, The Telegraph reported Thursday.

Khatami made the remarks after announcing he was withdrawing two bills he had sought to limit the power of the ruling conservative hardliners "so that the few powers that the president still has are not eliminated."

One of the bills was intended to increase presidential controls to limit constitutional violations by the ruling conservatives.

The other would have blocked the Guardian Council, the Islamic constitutional watchdog, from determining who could run in elections. Last month, it barred about 2,500 candidates from national elections.

Khatami said he would continue in office until his term expires in June next year, and conceded, "I have met with defeat."